Just a warning, I had my last on line shop marked as invalid because I "arrived early." After a lot of back and forth I have given up on the shop, am not trying to get reimbursement or to get paid. It seems to boil down to: if it takes more than 4 minutes and 59 seconds for the crew members to hand you your food after you arrive at the pick up location, you have arrived too early and your shop will be invalid. It doesn't matter that you can watch them cooking your fries so they will be fresh, you still must have arrived too early. Another tip I learned is that if you enter the restaurant early to check out the restroom, you should not use the few minutes as your start time, your start time should be when you reach the pick up spot. I hope that this will help someone else avoid an invalid shop.

I'm confused. Did you start the shop early or not? Why are you entering the restaurant early to check the restroom? If it is part of the shop it should be done within the shop window.

I was confused too. I entered the location 3 minutes before my pick up time in order to check out the restroom. This is allowable according to the guidelines. I did this because I was not planning on eating at the location and did not want to take my food into the restroom. What I did not know, is that your start time is not when you enter the restaurant, but the time you reach the pick up counter. I just wanted to share what I learned with others.

Thanks for the warning, I'm sorry the shop was rejected.
For the online shop, the instructions say something like; if you're taking the food to go then arriving early to observe the bathroom before getting your food. I was worried about this issue when I did my shop. I planned too much time for the bathroom check and had to spend 5 min. hiding out in the bathroom waiting. My shop was accepted.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2016 03:11PM by wwin.

So they rejected the shop because you included the three minutes for the restroom check? Is it in the guidelines this time is not to be included? If it is in writing and you included the time it is definitely an error, but not one that couldn't be easily corrected. Try communicating with them. They will occasionally reverse a decision.

I looked back on my report and it has you list the time entered (which for me was 7 min. before my pickup time) and exit time. There is nothing in the instructions about excluding the early entry time if doing the bathroom check first. I'm wondering op99, could the time on your receipt have been too early for your scheduled pickup?

While my timing was just under the 5 min. mark the rest of the shop did not go well and I'm pretty sure it was carefully reviewed.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2016 03:59PM by wwin.

I have had several emails to and from the help desk trying to understand what I did not do correctly.They want your start time to be the time you reach the pick up station. I think they need to explain this in their guidelines.

It sounds a lot like it's an editor issue. It seems like with most MSC's sometimes you get an editor that reads the instructions/ guidelines differently than most of the others. The problem is there isn't a third party we can ask to intervene. Often once they start digging their heels in, there is no talking reason and no recourse.

Since they said 'early' I'm guessing you ordered online before the allowable time range or you entered before the allowable time range. I'd assume mentioning how long they took to give you your food as time was evidence of one or the other.

There's a lot of variables involved. Hard to know who is at fault without getting too specific.

It doesn't take a few minutes to check the bathroom...unless you are actually using it...I haven't done the online shop in a long time...so I don't remember how long they tell you to wait before going in...but it would make more sense for them to ask what time you placed the order and what time it was handed to you...no matter what time you actually got there.

for future reference, can you drop the food in the car and go back in to the bathroom?

I guess you are supposed to dawdle around after getting the food to watch the grill and fries (and hope there are other customers)...you can always pretend you are in an important text message exchange without actually using your phone of course.

i avoided these issues by actually eating there...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2016 04:47AM by jmitw.

I've done this online shop before, but it's been 8 months or so. I remember that they do ask for you to get there early to check the bathroom before your order is ready, so I'm surprised they would ask for timings from when you arrived at the pick up counter because if you check the bathroom first, that could throw off your total time at the location, and then they wonder how could you possibly have checked everything...

I did an online one recently. The order is never entirely ready as there's an item they wait to add after you arrive as well as one you need to do yourself. Pretty much reads as you announce your arrival, wait for them to add the additional item in most cases, check the order for accuracy, and then put the item on a table or some place, check the bathroom, grab your food and then leave. When doing so they don't expect you to hang out and watch certain events, etc. Pretty much cleanliness. Some of it depends on the location. I find it much easier to arrive at the point the order is supposed to be ready as most customers would.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2016 01:10PM by FlawnMawn.

I wouldn't say never, it shouldn't be completely ready but thats one of the observations you're making. The instructions also say to go early to check the bathroom if doing takeout. But i think you're right, it doesnt have all the observatioms of the other jobs.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2016 06:53PM by wwin.

if we are talking about the same shop, there is nothing for a customer to add except fill a drink cup...and they could wait till you get there to fill the side item as those aren't custom ordered

op99, sorry about your lost shop. The report for an online shop has two different timings. Time in and Time out. Time in/out, would include the restroom visit. The food timing is how long it took to receive your order from the time you arrived at the counter. That timing starts when you arrive at the counter. Maybe that is what the Help Desk was referencing as the start time?

Warning to shoppers I did a FF shop earlier this week at several locations. I purchased the same sandwich and same toppings. 2 shops were marked invalid because the picture showed same sandwich. I know I uploaded the photos correctly. I have tried to be gracious...fall on my knife....perhaps. Who would make such a huge mistake after traveling HOURS to complete the shops....the help desk stated the same sandwich and toppings were in both photos..... And asked what photo should be with each assignment and asked how I store the photos. Well the onions are placed differently and so is the sun glare. The second shop for the day was fine....which leads me again to it came out if the right file and also one shop had 2 photos the other had 4. But, been 2 days and still no response and still invalid on the board. The quality department does not review report first. They just look at photos and invalidated if they look similar apparently. Just a thought...wouldn't a company want to see that consistency between their locations? Apparently not according to MF....My warning is not to order the same sandwich at least for 3 days. I contacted a scheduler both when I found the invalidation and today. She stated she gets 3 calls a week like mine, so figured I would advise her to tell shoppers the same...do not get the same type sandwich for a couple days. I hope to save y'all the time and energy ....and learn from my experience.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2016 04:14PM by dmp777.

I think you hit a problem reviewer. I'm sorry that this happened to you.

@op99 wrote:

Just a warning, I had my last on line shop marked as invalid because I "arrived early." After a lot of back and forth I have given up on the shop, am not trying to get reimbursement or to get paid. It seems to boil down to: if it takes more than 4 minutes and 59 seconds for the crew members to hand you your food after you arrive at the pick up location, you have arrived too early and your shop will be invalid. It doesn't matter that you can watch them cooking your fries so they will be fresh, you still must have arrived too early. Another tip I learned is that if you enter the restaurant early to check out the restroom, you should not use the few minutes as your start time, your start time should be when you reach the pick up spot. I hope that this will help someone else avoid an invalid shop.

OP: Let's say you had the dinner shop, which is 4:15 to 9:15 p.m.. You order online and then when the time is approaching 4:15, you get near the location and go in about 4:18 p.m. (in case their register time is off). That way you have not arrived earlier than the beginning shop time. You can go to the register and announce you have an online order, at which time they drop the fries and you collect your receipt. The fries normally take no more than 3 minutes. If they take 5 minutes or longer you could be questioned if you visited the restroom or were away from the counter. If you choose to use the restroom first, I believe you use/check the restroom and then walk to the counter, announcing that you have an online order, begin timing for the fries.

(if has been awhile since I did the online shop and things may have changed but this is how I remember it)